Trump Card
by BreathexFreely
Summary: There is something special about Hitsugaya Toshiro. But when Aizen gets a hold of him, will he live to see another day or will he be broken beyond repair?
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, because if I did Toshiro would be the main character.

_**Author's Note**__: Okay so, this is my first fan fiction in a LONG time, so I would like to cover a couple things first. I'll try not to blab for too long. __**First**__: There is a filler-chapter of Bleach, about Toshiro, that this chapter makes reference to a lot. So if you haven't read it, I'll put a link to it on my profile. Because you'll be rather confused if you haven't read it. __**Second**__: There isn't much action in this chapter, but trust me when I say that it picks up next chapter, so bear with me. __**Third**__: I am very bad about updating and even finishing stories. So I am now pledging that I __**will**__ finish this story. If I ever don't update for a long period of time, just leave a review giving me a good kick in the ass, because that's normally all it takes for me to start writing again. I believe that is all I wanted to say, so… ON WITH THE STORY (: enjoy._

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Trump Card

Chapter One

Hitsugaya Toshiro sighed for what seemed the hundredth time that hour. To say that he felt guilty was the understatement of the century. He always felt rather contrite when he missed his Obaa-san's birthday. He hadn't seen her since he entered the shinigami academy, except for those few times when Momo would drag him along on holidays. But Momo wasn't here to do that this year. Aizen had- … no it was best not to think about that right now.

He always tried to justify his actions by fooling himself into thinking that he was too busy to go visit the woman that raised him; in truth he was too terrified to visit. Because every time he thought about her, the night when he nearly froze her to death would flash through his mind. But his heart always yearned to see the one person that had never judged him. Maybe just this once he could…

'_No, its better this way… this way no one gets hurt.' _That was what he always told himself. He had, had his Reiatsu under control since his second day at the academy; they didn't call him a genius for nothing. So this fear of killing the woman who raised him was simply irrational. He knew this well, for Matsumoto had told him many _many _times. Deep down inside though, he knew that the fear of hurting his Obaa-san wasn't the only thing keeping him from visiting her.

"_You feel guilty, young one." _The voice inside his mind spoke the truth.

'_Yes, I suppose I do feel rather guilty…' _He thought, resting his cheek on his palm and glancing out the window.

"_Perhaps you should… make amends?" _

'_I wouldn't know how…'_

"_Or you just won't try." _He grimaced. Damn that wise dragon for completely seeing through his words. He shook his head, it would do no good to think about these things right now; he had other things to attend to.

After another sigh he looked back down at what he was doing. Paperwork. Oh, how he _hated _paperwork. Whoever said that he enjoyed wasting his time on such a dull matter was extremely mistaken. However, what he hated more than doing his own paperwork was doing his Lazy Lieutenant's paperwork. It was often crumpled from being hid in various unspeakable places and had questionable stains on the sides. It had to be done though, and since his Lieutenant had put her disappearing act into action once again, he was the only one left to do it.

"Captain!" A loud boisterous voice filled the office, making Toshiro wince.

'_Speak of the devil…'_

"Oh Capt- … Oh! There you are, Captain! I've been looking all over for you!" The overly endowed woman slid the door open with a bang, completely disturbing the calm atmosphere that had been there only moments before.

A twitch.

"What do you want, Matsumoto?" Came the annoyed voice.

"I've been looking for you all over Seireitei! I have something to ask you!" Matsumoto's eyes glowed with a mischievous sparkle that always meant she was up to no good. Toshiro had learned not to read into these looks too much, because Matsumoto _always_ seemed to be up to no good.

"Of course you made sure to check the office last…" Toshiro muttered, as he looked back down at what he was working on.

"Awww, Captain don't be so cold…" Matsumoto pouted before going back to her usual overdramatic self. "You don't know the kind of day I've been having! First I-"

"You had a question for me, Matsumoto?" He asked, interrupting her with another twitch of his eyebrow.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Will you go shopping with me, Captain?"

Another twitch.

"No Matsumoto, I do not approve of you spending the division's money on clothes, and I'm certainly not going to accompany you while you do it." The bright smiling woman wasn't fazed at all.

"But that's why you should come with me, Captain; to make sure that I _don't_ spend all of the division's money."

"You shouldn't be tempted to spend it _anyways_. I'm not going shopping with you and that's final. I have work to do, and most of it is _your_ work." At this, he gave her a pointed look.

Matsumoto frowned for a split second and then brightened up again.

"Alright Captain, I didn't want to do this but now you're forcing me…" Within seconds of that statement, Toshiro disappeared out of his chair only to be held a few feet above ground.

"Huh… W-what… MATSUMOTO! Put me down this instant!" He struggled in her grasp as she threw him over her shoulder and started trotting out of the office. When did this damn woman become so strong?

"Sorry, no-can-do Captain. You're the one who wouldn't come willingly."

"Matsumoto…" He growled as his eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Trust me Captain; this is for your own good!"

Yes, he had learned not to read into the mischievous looks; but when she said cryptic things like that then he has something to _truly_ worry about.

* * *

They had been walking for about fifteen minutes- well Matsumoto had been walking; Toshiro was still being held against his will- when they came to the gate that separated Seireitei from the rest of Soul Society. Toshiro had stopped struggling a while ago, accepting his fate, but this was rather confusing.

'_What are we going into Rukon District for if we're only going shopping?'_

"Matsumoto, where are you taking me?" The question expressed more curiosity than annoyance.

"Be patient Captain, you'll see when we get there!" Her face lit up with a bright smile.

"…You do know that kidnapping a Captain is treasonous, right?" He asked, glaring at the ground from his position on her shoulder.

Matsumoto just giggled as they walked through the gate.

* * *

After walking a few more miles, the scenery began to look vaguely familiar. Toshiro's eyes widened, finally realizing Matsumoto's plan.

"Put me down." He muttered.

"Not until we get there Captain! I told you this al-" Her cheery voice was cut off as he began to struggle again.

"Matsumoto! Put me down. Right. Now." He heard a sigh; then he was lifted off her shoulder and placed gently on his feet. He turned on his heel, and had only taken three steps in the opposite direction when she grabbed his wrist and turned him around to face her. She bent down to his height; similar to the way she did on the first night he met her.

"You know, for a genius, you can be really stupid sometimes…" She said softly. He looked at her with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?"

"You really think that your Obaa-san would be angry with you, over something that you couldn't control at the time? You should know that she will always love you, no matter what." He looked at the ground and frowned. He hated this side of Matsumoto; he couldn't hide anything from her.

He glanced nervously at the house that was only a few meters away from them. That house was the setting in some of the best memories he'd ever had. Letting out a deep breath, he started towards it.

* * *

Aizen sat in the throne room, with a rather arrogant attitude, as he watched the reactions of everyone around him. He was genuinely pleased with his plan, but to his disappointment, no one else seemed very enthusiastic about it. Even Gin, had a slight frown on his face.

"Is there a problem?" Aizen asked, resting the side of his face in his palm. If one didn't know better, they would say that he looked rather bored with the whole situation.

"Fuck yeah there is a _problem_! You're sending us on a fucking suicide mission and won't even tell us why!" Grimmjow's angry voice echoed through the room, his usual glare firmly in place. "Tell him Ulquiorra! This is fucking crazy!"

Ulquiorra, who normally did everything without question, was looking rather lost.

"I have to admit… I don't entirely understand your reasoning Aizen-sama." Aizen had to smirk at that; Ulquiorra was always the polite one.

"Let's just say that he's our… trump card." Aizen said his smirk widening. "Staying alive seems like a good incentive for you to not go fighting any person you come across though, don't you think Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow growled at the condescending remark and opened his mouth to reply. He didn't get the chance however, for Aizen was done playing games.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. You're mission is rather simple: Bring me Hitsugaya Toshiro."

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__Hello again,_

_Yeah it's me again. How did I do? Was everyone in character? If not, tell me who… and why you think I got them out of character. Because I really __**don't**__ want them to seem OC… _

_Now for the wonderful ritual of bribing you to review… Now what could __**I**__ give __**you**__…? How about… a gigantic virtual cookie and a big virtual bear hug. (: And another chapter of course._

_Well, tell me what you thought (: Thanks!_

_-Sara _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Bleach, because if I did then Grimmjow would get more face-time (because I love him)_

_**Author's Note:**__ So, I've procrastinated on writing this chapter all week, mostly because I was rather shaky on Grimmjow's and Ulquiorra's personalities. But I made a promise to myself that I would get this chapter up by Friday at the latest. And I'm now going to promise __**you all**__ that there will be a chapter up every Friday… (Because if I don't make a promise publicly, then I won't keep it…) __**Anyways**__, the chapter seems a little choppy to me, and I'll admit right now that I don't like this chapter but regardless of what I think, enjoy. (:_

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Trump Card

Chapter Two

"Che… who does he think he is… wasting my fucking time like this…" Grimmjow growled out as he and Ulquiorra stepped out of the Garganta. Ulquiorra didn't answer, his face wiped of all emotion as usual. Standing high above the ground they looked out at Soul Society towards their destination.

"And why the hell is he sending _two_ of us? It's only a fucking kid…" Grimmjow continued to grumble like this as they made their way towards the Rukon District.

"Do not underestimate him, Grimmjow, even if he is only a child. Aizen-sama _must_ have his reasons for sending both of us." Ulquiorra replied in an even tone.

"Che… whatever."

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Toshiro hadn't felt this _content_ in many years. It felt rather nice to see his Obaa-san again. Over the years that he had been away from her he had forgotten what it was like to be surrounded by so much _love_. War and the constant responsibility of being a Captain had certainly taken its toll on him. Perhaps that was the reason Matsumoto was partnered with him; so he didn't _completely_ forget what it was like to be a child. To be happy. He quickly shook the thought off though; the Head-Captain would never do something so generous, knowingly. So then maybe, it was just luck.

Toshiro looked up at Matsumoto, who had a smug look on her face, as they walked away from his Obaa-san's house. They had spent the better part of three hours there, just chatting over tea. However, paperwork was calling his name and even though he would like to spend all day with his Obaa-san (not that he would ever admit it), he couldn't.

"What are you thinking about, Captain?" Matsumoto's voice interrupted his thoughts as they entered the main square of Junrinan. He hesitated for a moment and then:

"About how much paperwork you have to do." He always had a hard time thanking people; it was one of the few things that _didn't_ come naturally to him.

"Aww Captain, why can't we take the day off…?" Matsumoto pouted.

"You take the day off, _everyday_ Matsumoto…" He muttered as his eyebrow twitched.

"You don't give me enough credit, Captain…" He bottom lip poked out as her voice took on a whiny tone that normally meant she was going to try asking for something. "I know! We should go shopping!"

His eyebrow let out another twitch as she grabbed his arm, attempting to drag him towards the shops on the side of the road.

"Matsumoto… we have work to do…"

"Oh come on Captain, it'll be fun!" She said teasingly.

"For you maybe…" A sigh quickly followed however, when she gave him a hopeful smile, and he resigned to letting her drag him into various shops.

"Oh Captain! Look at how cute-" he drowned her voice out as his mind wandered.

Yes, he was truly lucky to have Matsumoto as his Lieutenant. He would forget at times how much he owed her. If it hadn't been for her, his Obaa-san would have died long ago. He remembered that she would visit him every weekend when he entered the Shinigami Academy; almost like she knew that he was lonely there. Matsumoto always had a way of looking right through him and seeing the things that he was trying his hardest to hide. He had so much to thank her for, but it seemed as though the words always got stuck in his throat.

"_It is only two words, young one." _At this he let out a sigh as he found his voice.

"Matsumoto…" Her rambling suddenly stopped and she looked down, giving him her full attention. "I would like to say…- I wanted to- …I- … ah" He frowned; stuttering like an idiot was not part of the plan. He took a deep breath and then let it out.

"Thank you."

A few moments of silence went by as Matsumoto seemed to be processing the two simple words that rarely came out of her Captain's mouth. Then a wide smile spread across her face and she opened her mouth to reply. She never got the chance however, because a loud crash and a crushing Reiatsu interrupted her.

"Hah, looks like we've finally found the brat, eh Ulquiorra?" The number six and number four Espada stood on a roof that had just been partially destroyed by a cero.

"It seems that way… but please refrain from drawing any more attention to us, Grimmjow. Aizen-sama said that this should be a quick mission. We are here to get the child and get out, not play around…" Ulquiorra's gaze never left Toshiro while he said this.

"Che… I'll do whatever the hell I want."

By this time, Toshiro and Matsumoto had both drawn their weapons, taking a fighting stance.

"Hah! Look at that Ulquiorra, they're actually going to try and fight us… what a joke." Grimmjow let loose a shit-eating grin.

"How naïve…" was Ulquiorra's only comment. Grimmjow let out an annoyed sigh.

"Ah well, as much as I would like a good fight, we've got orders to make this quick so…"

* * *

A pained groan was emitted from the white-haired child in the middle of the room. Eyes blinked open and bleary vision started to come into focus. _'Where… am I?' _was the first thought that registered in his confused mind. The room was dark with no windows to let any kind of light in. There were four walls, a ceiling and a floor, all made out of the same rough concrete. An old mattress lay in the corner of the room with a single thin sheet crumpled up on top of it.

The next thing that registered were the chains that attached to his wrists, seemingly blocking his Reiatsu as well as keeping him restrained.

'_What happened…?'_ The last thing he remembered was that there had been a strange white light and then… nothing. His mind was foggy, almost like he was forgetting something.

He let out a gasp as realization hit him. Matsumoto. She had been there as well, but where was she now…? Was she here as well? Wherever here was, that is…

His thought process was interrupted by a door, which Toshiro hasn't noticed up until now, opening with an eerie creak. Toshiro's eyes widened as he recognized the man standing in front of him. He no longer had glasses and a comforting smile, but Toshiro could recognize that face anywhere.

"Welcome to Hueco Mundo, Hitsugaya-kun." Aizen said. "… How do you like your room?"

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_Hey everyone… Okay so, I __**really **__intended to write a really dramatic fight scene, where Matsumoto passes out right as Grimmjow and Ulquiorra disappear with Toshiro in their grasp __**but…**__ they just wouldn't do what I wanted… (That's right, I just blamed the characters [; it's their entire fault.) So, I improvised and gave the Espada some freakish new power which may or may not be explained later (: Because, I'm the author and I can do shit like that (; haha, just messing with you, I'll most likely explain it._

_Anyways, Review? Please? That's right, I have no shame, I'm begging. Same basic questions as last time… Was everyone in character? What did you think?_

_Thanks,_

_-Sara (:_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Bleach… but I wish I did…_

_**Author's Note:**__*grins sheepishly*… I promised this on Friday… I know... I was rather stressed last week applying for colleges, but it turns out that the deadline isn't until January so it was all for nothing T-T I started writing this chapter Friday, and I got like Three-Fourths of the way through it… and then I got distracted… (I'm very easily distracted) But anyways, I've kept you long enough… so enjoy (:_

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Trump Card

Chapter Three

Matsumoto hated this obscure feeling. It wasn't the same hazy feeling you got after a night of drinking; the feeling that was always accompanied by a hangover. No, this feeling had a sense of darkness surrounding it. This feeling told her that she needed to get up, that she was _missing_ something, that she need to do _something_. And through all the fogginess she would try to understand what was going on, only to realize she couldn't move let alone make sense of all this.

But there always came a time, when these obscure feelings would just vanish; when a sense of clarity would hit you so hard that it would be almost _painful_. There would be a time when your eyes would snap open and a heart wrenching scream would tear from your throat. A scream that would not tell of physical pain but of all the frustrating welled up emotions that had an agonizing grasp on your heart. The tears and shortness of breath would come next; only to make your chest tighten as if the whole weight of the world was sitting on it.

This is how Matsumoto would describe herself as she woke up in a panicked state. Members of Squad Four were at her bedside within minutes of her scream. She paid them no mind though, as she tried to make sense of why she couldn't move and most importantly…

'_Captain…'_

She continued her struggle to move with a new vigor, however the only thing she had to show for it were the tears that continued to run down her cheeks. Her breath was coming in short gasps even though the Squad Four members were trying their best to calm her down.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto." The voice of the kind Captain Unohana did nothing to stop her panic attack; it did however capture her attention. "If you do not calm down, I'm going to have to sedate you…" Her kind eyes had a tint of sadness to them when she said this.

Matsumoto attempted to calm herself. She needed so many answers and at the moment Unohana was her best bet; so if calming herself down was what it would take, then so be it. With a few shaky big breaths she achieved this façade of calm, even though her mind was still a mess.

"Thank you… now, do you remember what happened?" Matsumoto opened her mouth to answer only to falter. She frowned. She remembered they had been on the way back to Seireitei. The Arrancars; they had wanted her Captain for something. And then… nothing.

Unohana seemed to notice her confused look, because she began to explain.

"We found you under a destroyed building; it did extensive damage to your body. Most of the bones had been crushed and there was some internal damage as well. I've paralyzed you from the neck down for the time being, so that you don't do any more harm to yourself while you heal." Only now did Matsumoto take the time to glance at the state of her body. She had bandages covering about seventy percent of her body, but the parts that she could see were severely bruised with a nasty blue and black color. She was amazed that she didn't feel any pain, however she knew that was Unohana's doing.

She looked back up, staring directly at Unohana, worry filling her eyes.

"Where's my Captain?" Her voice wavered a bit, as if she was trying to keep herself from asking the millions of other questions that popped into her head. Unohana seemed hesitant to answer, and then:

"We have not found him… there is no trace of his Reiatsu in Soul Society. Wherever he is, we believe that he is no longer in this dimension. We-"

"They took him." Unohana seemed a bit taken aback by this.

"They…?"

"The Arrancars. We ran into them on the way back to the division. They said they were here to 'get the child and get out'. They took him. I know they did!" her voice rose in anger with every word she said. Had she not been paralyzed she would have been shaking in rage. Suddenly tears were pouring out her eyes again and her breathing started to quicken. "I need to find him… oh god… I-I-I ne-need to…" Unohana looked at her sadly and she understood what was about to happen. The last thing she registered was Unohana's hand gently touching her head and easing her into the darkness.

Unohana frowned, if what she had said was true then that meant… Aizen. This certainly was troubling. The Head-Captain would need to be informed immediately.

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When the Captains of the Gotei 13 assembled, it was never to discuss a pleasant subject. The subjects that were discussed in these meetings involved many things; treason, war, and most of all, death. There always seemed to be an apprehensive aura lingering in the room, as if bracing them for whatever news that was about to come. The Captains would stand there quietly awaiting the Head-Captain's words that would accompany grave news.

"Captain Unohana has informed me of a disturbing truth." Every Captain snapped their attention towards their leader. "It seems that the Captain of the Tenth Division Hitsugaya Toshiro has been captured by the enemy." Whispers and shocked expressions immediately broke out.

"Do we know how this happened, Head-Captain?" To everyone's surprise it was Kuchiki Byakuya that spoke out.

"We know that two Arrancars entered Soul Society without detection somehow and proceeded to apprehend Hitsugaya. The method that was used has not yet been verified."

"Isn't it _your_ squad that is supposed to be looking out for these kinds of threats, Kurotsuchi?" Zaraki Kenpachi's gruff voice started. "Or are your computers getting faulty?"

"Don't you _dare_ blame my machinery you buffoon-"

"_Enough!_ This is not the time for petty arguments; this matter concerns me deeply…"

"Do we know Aizen's motive?" It was Komamura's voice that rang out this time. It was at this inquiry that the Head-Captain seemed to age a hundred more years. And with that, the gravity of the situation seemed to become clear.

"Yes… it is my belief that Hitsugaya Toshiro is the Heavenly Guardian."

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Toshiro eyed Aizen warily from his position on the floor. Aizen's presence had been daunting to say the least, but now he was merely overcome with curiosity. Curiosity had always been both a strength and a weakness of his; at times it could be helpful but it mostly just got him into trouble.

"What do you mean that I'm the Heavenly Guardian…?" Aizen took a step closer and raised an eyebrow in mock-surprise.

"You mean you didn't know? Well… I suppose it's not surprise, you would have been too much of a threat to Soul Society if you knew. However, there's nothing more dangerous than ignorance. Wouldn't you agree, Hitsugaya-kun?" Aizen paced slowly around Toshiro; that smug smirk in place the whole time.

"Answer my question you bastard…" Toshiro growled out.

"Now now Hitsugaya-kun, is that anyway to speak to your host?" This only earned Aizen a hard glare. "Oh very well, I suppose I will tell you… but make no mistake as to who holds the power here, Hitsugaya-kun…"

"You are familiar with the term 'inner hollow' correct?" Toshiro had a confused look in his eyes but gave a slight nod non-the-less.

"Kurosaki has-"

"Yes. Just as the inner hollow is a part of Kurosaki's soul, the Heavenly Guardian is a part of yours. There are only a few major differences. You see, this part of your soul has been repressed so that it cannot take over your body except under certain… circumstances." This made Toshiro somewhat apprehensive.

"What circumstances…?"

"You could choose to acknowledge this part of your soul… this way you may be in control of the Heavenly Guardian's power. Since this part of your soul has been inhibited however, the only other way for it to be able to take control would be if your mind was completely broken and you were no longer able to defend yourself. The Heavenly Guardian would immediately take over in order to protect your body."

"You talk about it as if it's a living thing…"

"Well Hitsugaya-kun, classifying it as a living thing would be rather accurate. Much like an inner hollow or a Zanpakuto, the Heavenly Guardian has a consciousness of its own."

Toshiro's head was throbbing with information. Finding out that there was this _thing_ attached to his soul was overwhelming to say the least. But there was still one thing he didn't understand…

"Why am I here?" Toshiro expected a lot of things to happen when he asked that question, but Aizen laughing was not one of them.

"I thought you were smarter than that Hitsugaya-kun." Aizen said after letting out another mocking laugh. "The Heavenly Guardian holds enormous strength and it nearly rivals the Hogyoku in power. To have an advantage such as that in a war is rather desirable, wouldn't you agree?"

Toshiro pondered this new information for a moment and then let out a low chuckle of his own before smirking up at Aizen.

"You're rather daft if you truly thought that I would willingly let you have such power…" Before he could even blink Aizen reached down and yanked his white hair as he lifted him halfway off the ground.

"I do not enjoy snide comments, Hitsugaya-kun, but I will tolerate it for today since I haven't gotten a chance to teach you any better. But you remember this…" Aizen's mouth was uncomfortably close to Toshiro's ear as he whispered in a menacing voice. "You _will_ hand over that power whether it be willing or not. And once I break you enough, you'll become my greatest asset in winning this war."

With those words and another sharp tug to the white hair, Aizen turned on his heal and exited the room leaving Toshiro in the darkness once more.

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_Hey everyone,_

_I enjoyed writing this chapter… and I was feeling rather poetic in the second paragraph… (: The whole Heavenly Guardian is sort of going to be portrayed sort of like Ichigo's inner hollow would be… I'm doing it that way because I think it'll just be easier to write and for people to understand what's going on… anyways, I don't have much else to say at the moment… So I'll just get to the questions for the awesome people who review (:_

_Was everyone in character? (Yes I know I ask that every time but I always feel like they're out of character…) Was it smooth? (I felt like the last chapter was rather choppy, and I'm probably going to rewrite it when I get farther into the story…) and most importantly… Was my explanation of 'The Heavenly Guardian' clear? Did everyone understand it? Please tell me… I don't want anyone to be confused…_

_Well (:_

_Thanks for reading!_

_-Sara_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Bleach… I just don't ):_

_**Author's Note:**__ I know… another late update. I wish I could have some really good excuse as to why this chapter is late. But the truth? I got distracted by a __**Doctor Who**__ marathon. Please… don't blame me, blame the show, for being so addicting. (: Oh and before I forget, someone asked in the reviews if Ichigo was going to be in this story. And I just wanted to clear that up now (: Yes, Ichigo is in it (I actually have __**big**__ plans for him), but he doesn't make his appearance until chapter nine ^.^ Well, I'm sorry to keep you all waiting (: enjoy_

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_Trump Card

Chapter Four

Pain was something that Toshiro didn't often think about; being a Shinigami made pain an extremely familiar subject to him. A cut here, a broken arm there; he had never paid much attention to when he was in pain. It had always been one of those things that would just eventually _pass_. But this constant agony that he was in put a whole new meaning to the word '_pain_'. This pain was an ache that shook him to his core and never seemed to cease.

The few days he had spent in his tiny cell had been some of the most miserable days of his life. It was the same agonizing routine every day; first thing in the morning the door would open and he would spend countless hours getting bashed around. Then, when he could barely bear the pain any longer, the bane of his existence would walk in the room. _'Aizen...'_ The name made him sick to his stomach. He could still remember the exact words that were said to him yesterday.

'_You're bringing this all on yourself, Hitsugaya-kun. You can make this pain stop anytime you want…'_ Aizen had said while standing over his bleeding body. For some reason, that delusional man still thought that he would willingly betray Soul Society. But every day he would offer an escape, and every day Toshiro refused. It was a tiring cycle that left him with little time to sleep; not that he would have been able to sleep anyways with all the damage he had acquired.

So when the door opened, pouring light into the room, it was needless to say that he was exasperated. He squinted up at the person who would be his tormentor, and sighed with relief when he saw that it was only Ulquiorra. The passive arrancar had never beaten him; except for a slap when he blatantly disrespected '_Aizen-sama_'.

Ulquiorra would only make an appearance every few days. It seemed as if he was put in charge of making sure that Toshiro actually stayed alive; but only barely. These visits were always silent which slightly disheartened Toshiro; he was rarely spoken to. Even the time he spent with his tormentor was relatively quiet except for the pained groans that were extracted from him.

But even though the silence bothered him, Toshiro was grateful for these visits. They meant that he would get water; it was Luke-warm and full of sludge, but it was water none-the-less. Food was occasionally provided as well. That is, if you could define the inedible substance that seemed to be bread as food. He had learned to eat at a slow pace, no matter how hungry he was. He did not do this in order to savor the grotesque food, but to keep the pain at bay; for once the food and slimy water disappeared, his tormentor would emerge.

So it's easy to imagine his surprise, when that dreaded man walked through the door while he was nibbling on the rotten bread. The grinning devil's face brought many emotions to the forefront of Toshiro's mind; the first of which was hate. It wasn't often that Toshiro could say he loathed someone with every cell in his body, but this men as well as Aizen were the exceptions. This was the emotion that Toshiro had portrayed since he had woken up in the gloomy little cell. He displayed this emotion in order to keep everything else he was feeling at a distance; because if he didn't exhibit his bubbling hatred then his growing anxiety would be sure to show through.

Ulquiorra glanced at the black-haired man who had entered the room. A slight hint of annoyance passed over his face before it was gone so quick that Toshiro thought his mind was playing tricks on him.

"Why are you here, Nnoitra?" Ulquiorra's voice was flat and even as always.

At first it seemed as if he was only going to get a sneer in reply, until he opened his mouth and said, "Aizen-sama sent me. He thinks the brat is taking too long to eat." With this comment said, he leered at Toshiro.

"It is none of my concern how long he takes. Aizen-sama only instructed me to make sure he lives." A scoff from Nnoitra soon followed this statement.

"Yeah, well I have different orders." An evil grin appeared on Nnoitra's face as he turned away from Ulquiorra and cast all his attention on Toshiro. Ulquiorra lingered for only a moment longer before turning and leaving him alone with the man that caused him so much pain.

As Nnoitra ripped the food out of his hands Toshiro realized that it was a rather difficult feat to hide fear. This was not the kind of uneasiness that was felt when you faced your first _real _hollow, though; _that_ was easily hidden. It was the kind of fear that swelled up in your chest and made it difficult to breathe. This fear was overwhelming and it took every ounce of his being to meet Nnoitra's gaze without a sliver of anxiety slipping into his eyes. But it was especially difficult because Nnoitra could smell fear from miles away. Toshiro could tell when he briefly let his façade falter, for Nnoitra would let out a grin along with a mocking laugh.

So as Nnoitra leaned down and grasped his arm, Toshiro braced himself for the first blow to arrive. However upon waiting a few moments, he realized it wasn't coming. Instead, he noticed the intense excruciating pressure that was building on his arm. Glancing down at Nnoitra's grip, he discerned what was happening as the pressure steadily grew and became increasingly painful.

Nnoitra let out a depraved laugh as Toshiro began to struggle, before squeezing his arm harder. Toshiro let out a pained gasp; he could practically hear the bone in his arm splintering. All he could do was watch as his arm was slowly crushed in Nnoitra's vice grip. A sickening crack along with an agonized yelp resounded throughout the room, signaling that the bone finally gave way and snapped in two. A slow grin made its way across Nnoitra's face at the sound of his success. He gave a sharp tug to the now broken arm, extracting a distressed scream.

After this everything seemed to become a blur to Toshiro. Every punch and kick blurred together into one painful event. He had learned not to fight back; it only made everything hurt worse. So he would lie there, limp, as Nnoitra hit him. It could probably be compared to a child taking his anger out on a rag doll; Toshiro mused.

He winced, after one particularly painful blow to the face. A coppery taste filled his mouth, informing him that he was bleeding. He was so used to the taste by now that it was a wonder that he noticed it anymore. Toshiro vaguely felt Hyorinmaru uncoil in his mind, spreading a slight chill throughout his body in an attempt to give him a small amount of comfort. He appreciated the gesture of his companion, even if it was useless effort.

Raising his fist in preparation for another painful strike, Nnoitra noticed a flinch from the small Captain, and promptly let out a smirk.

"Aww, you're not done already are you, little-brat?" The mocking words seemed to flip a switch within Toshiro. He slowly looked up into Nnoitra's eyes before letting out a smirk of his own. Nnoitra didn't have time to question the sly smile before he spit the blood that had built up in his mouth into Nnoitra's face. A smug look crossed Toshiro's face.

They hadn't broken him yet.

* * *

Matsumoto supposed she should have been relieved, but the truth was she was rather annoyed with the Head-Captain. On second morning after she woke up, Captain Unohana had informed her that a rescue team would in fact be sent for Captain Hitsugaya. It was only later that she found out just _who_ would be part of that rescue team. _'Unseated officers… what a joke.'_ She sighed. Maybe she was being unfair to them; maybe they _would_ rescue her Captain. But the reality of the situation was that she didn't _want_ 'maybe'. She wanted to be absolutely certain that they would bring her Captain home.

She shook her head; when did she get so uncaring? Those officers' lives were on the line as well. They could very well die while trying to rescue her Captain. But the extreme unlikeliness of that happening is what made her nervous. Perhaps it was just her maternal instincts kicking in, but lately all she could focus on was her Captain's safety; or lack thereof. It was true that she formed a soft spot for that little white-haired brat she had met at the marketplace. She had always looked at the child as someone she needed to care for.

She sighed, looking through the window in her room in Squad Four. The sky was so bright and cheerful that it was almost insulting to her current mood. She let out another sigh. _'Captain…'_

_

* * *

_Passersby would probably say that Aizen was acting normal as he sat in the throne room, head resting on his palm. The truth however, was that Aizen was extremely agitated. And when Nnoitra had come to him, his face covered in blood, it had done nothing to help his mood. The source of his foul state of mind could only be described as a 4'4" white-haired child. He certainly hadn't expected his plan to take this long, but the child was harder to break than he originally thought. What he needed was a way to cut deeper than the skin. He needed something that would positively destroy the child's spirit.

The smallest of smiles came to his face as an idea popped into his mind. Perhaps breaking him wouldn't take so long after all…

* * *

_Hello everyone,_

_Jeez I had such a hard time writing this chapter ); It was like pulling teeth. I don't really think I'm that great at writing violence so tell me what you thought of it? I tried to make it detailed but not __**too**__ detailed, if that makes any sense? I'm pretty positive Nnoitra is out of character but I don't really mind because I needed him to act like that anyways (: Oh! And anyone who can guess what Aizen is planning for Toshiro gets __**10 cool-you-can-read-my-mind points**__ (: Anyways, review and make my day? (:_

_*sigh* I'm gonna go do math homework now, but thanks for reading… It'll make math a little less painful._

_-Sara_


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